Missile launcher



Sept. 5, 1961 K. .1. BIALYl MISSILE LAUNCHER Filed May 29. 1959 F/G. l.

KROL J. BLY

NVENTOR.

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2,998,754 MISSILE LAUNCHER Karol J. Bialy, College Park, Md., assignor to the United States 'of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed May 29, 1959, Ser. No. 816,988 2 Claims. (Cl. 89-1.7)

The present invention relates generally to underground tube launched missiles and more particularly to an improved missile launcher having a device for diverting shock waves from the missile body on ignition of the booster and for increasing thrust on the missile by the booster. f

In launching a missile from an underground installed tube, a shock wave develops to the rear of the missile near the bottom of the tube. a higher speed than the missile and passes between the missile and the side of the launching tube, thus placing a severe stress on the missile body and causing an inward collapse of the missile covering and damage to the missile ns and wings.

An object of the present invention is to provide a missile launcher for keeping the shock waves developed by the booster gases from affecting or damaging the missile during the launching phase.

An additional object of the invention resides in the provision of means for increasing the thrust on the missile within the launching tube or well during the initial boost phase of missile ilight.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a missile launcher incorporating wing tip rollers on the missile cooperating with grooves in the launching tube to increase the launching acceleration of the missile.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a missile launcher having exhaust means for conveying the initial gases away from the bottom of the launching tube to eliminate any excessive pressure within the launching tube, thus preventing damage to the missile or to the launching tube.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view through an underground missile launching installation shonn'ng the invention applied to a missile booster;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail horizontal sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view of one of the fin tip roller assemblies employed.

The ground launching site of the present invention is constructed as shown in FIG. 1 with a reinforced concrete well or launching tube 12 having a mouth 13, a cylindrical side wall 14 and a base 15 with a conical shaped bottom wall 16. Vertical metallic bars or guideways 17 are embedded in the wall and are provided with metal faces having grooves 18 extending vertically along the surfaces of said bars. Encircling the well 12 within the reinforced concrete wall 14 is a series of relief conduits 19 extending from the base 15 to the ground surface. In the side wall 14 near the bottom wall 16 of the well, slots 20 are formed and connect the bottom of the well with the relief conduits 19. The conical shape or formation of the bottom wall 16 of the well will divert the initial exhaust gases from the booster of a missile against the inner surface 21 of a frusto-conical booster skirt 22 which is mounted on an annular shoulder 23 on the inner surface of the wall 14 near the lower end thereof but above the slots 20. The contour of the bottom wall 16 could have various degrees of inclination depending Thisshock wave travels at States Patent C Patented Sept. 5, 1961 upon which vwould provide the greatest increase in thrust 27 withiins 28 is attached to the aft end of the missile.

As shown in section in'FIG. 1, the booster 27 has the usual exit nozzle 2 9. The missile-booster combination is positioned in the tube 12 with vthe `aft end of the booster resting on the open upward end of the booster skirt '22. The skirt hasa centralopening 30, and is spaced above the bottom wall 16 of the well so that the booster exhaust gases will ltravel through the opening and be dellected by the well bottom 16 against the inner surface 21 of said skirt tor give additional thrust tothe missile.

iEach ofthe 'wings 25 of the missile and ns 2 8 of the booster is fitted with a contoured cap 31 which has a plurality of longitudinally alignedv bearings 32 for engagemenbwithin the grooves 18 of the guideways 17 in the side wall 14. A typical one of the caps 31 is shownin FIG. 3,V It is shaped to iit about the outer end f portion of, say, lone of the iins 28 of the booster, and

includes an end wall 33 formed with openings into which the bearingsV 32project, and a skirt 34 which embraces the iin. A follower plate 35 is mounted within the cap 31 parallelv to the end wall and in contact with the ball bearings 32. A plurality of springs 36 are conlned between the plate 35 and the end surface or tip of the iin and serve the two-fold function of retaining the plate and bearings in position and of displacing the cap from the iin after the missile has left the tube.

When the booster is ignited, by means not shown, the

missile is launched from the well with the bearings 32 rolling on the guideways 17. The use of bear-ings reduces the force necessary to launch the missile since there is less friction and inertia than Iwith sliding launching shoes of prior devices. That is, with the same amount of booster power, a greater acceleration of the missile can be accomplished by the use of these bearings. As the missile wings and booster fins emerge from the mouth 13 of the launching tube 12, the caps 31 will be displaced by the springs 36 and will be projected away from the missile. The relief conduits 19 will, as the missile and booster leave the launching tube 12, conduct the products of combustion to the surface of the ground.

The conical bottom wall 16 and the skirt 22 are so conthe scope of the appended claims the invention mayber practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. In a missile launching device comprising a launching tube .having longitudinal guideway grooves in the side walls thereof for maintaining alignment of the Wings and fins of a missile being launched, a bearing assembly for reducing friction between said wings and fins and said guideway grooves comprising a contoured cap member shaped to lit over the outer end portion of said missile wing or iin, a plurality of longitudinally aligned ball bearings in said cap member, an end wall in said cap member having a plurality of circular apertures therein and through which said bearings project to engage said guideway grooves, the diameter of each of said circular apertures being less than the diameter of its corresponding bearing, a follower plate in said cap member parallel to said end Wall and contacting said ball bearings, and a plurality of springs in said cap member confined between `said follower plate and the end surface of said missile Wing or iin, whereby said bearing assembly reduces kinetic friction between said missile wing or iin and said launching tube and the entire bearing assembly is completely ejected from said missile wing or n upon exit of said missile from said launching tube.

.2. In combination with a Imissile having wings and ns, a launching tube for receiving said missile in position for launching, said launching tube having bottom and side walls, said bottom wall having -a conical formation thereon tapering inwardly of said launching tube to an apex located en the :longitudinal axis of said launching tube, a frusto-conically shaped annular skirt member integral with said side wall of said launching tube and spaced above said bottom wall and coaxial with the conical formation of said bottom wall, a plurality of gas pressure relief conduits connecting the bottom of said launching -tube with the exterior of said tube, a plurality of longitudinal guideway grooves in the interior side walls of said launching tube for maintaining alignment of said missile wings and iins during launching, a plurality of bearing assemblies, one for each of said wings and fins, each of said bearing assemblies comprising a contoured cap member shaped to t over the outer end portion of said missile wing or n, a plurality of longitudinally aligned ball bearings in said cap member, an end wall in said cap member having a plurality of circular apertures therein and through which said bearings project to engage said guideway grooves, the diameter of each of said circular `apertures being less than the diameter of its corresponding bearing, a follower plate in said cap member parallel to saidend wall and contacting said bal-l bearings, and a plurality of springs in said cap member confined between said follower plate and the end surface of said missile wing or iin, whereby said `entire bearing assembly is completely ejected from said missile 'wing or n upon exit of said missile from 4said launching tube.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,480,957 Schneider Jan. 15, 1924 2,448,343 Zandner Aug. 31, 1948 2,657,630 Blacker Nov. 3, 1953 2,802,399 Little Allg. 13, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,110,465 France Oct. 12, 1955 

